Paquita la del Barrio, the prolific Mexican vocalist and songwriter known for her powerful feminist ballads, died on Monday at her home in Veracruz. She was 77.
Paquita’s social media accounts made the announcement on Monday, but did not list a cause of death.
“With deep pain and sadness we confirm the sensitive passing of our beloved ‘Paquita la del Barrio,’” the statement said in Spanish. “She was a unique and unrepeatable artist who will leave an indelible mark in the hearts of all of us who knew her and enjoyed her music.”
Paquita broke through in the Mexican ranchera genre, a field typically dominated by men, demonstrated through intense songs centering on love, revenge and nationalism. Songs like “Rata de dos Patas,” “Me Saludas a la Tuya” and “Tres Veces Te Engane” denounced male macho culture and became anthems.
A 1999 article in The New York Times highlighted Paquita’s place in Mexico City, where she had begun her career as a local performer, describing her as “something of a patron saint” of a place where her songs resonated.
Paquita’s passing caused an outpouring of grief among celebrities and fans on social media.
Alejandro Sanz, a singer and composer, wrote in Spanish that her music was “capable of capturing a feeling and turning it into a song” and that she is a “part of the eternal culture.”
Thalia, a popular singer and actress, shared a scene of the pair starring on “Maria Mercedes,” a soap opera that aired on the Mexican broadcaster Televisa in 1992. Initially, Thalia expressed nervousness about sharing a stage with Paquita.
“Paquita marked a clear and forceful path when it came to empowering women in music,” Thalia wrote in Spanish on Instagram. “She always spoke clearly and confidently in her songs and helped thousands of women in this industry feel more open and confident when talking about their life experiences without taboos.”
Paquita was born Francisca Viveros Barradas on April 2, 1947, in the Mexican state of Veracruz.
Her life shaped her music. Paquita was a teenager when she married a man nearly 30 years older than her. The marriage produced two children, but ended after seven years when she found out that the man was already married with a family.
She had three children with her second husband, Alfonso Martinez. Martinez died in 2000 after the pair were married for 31 years. Information on survivors was not immediately available.
“I got married for a second time and it was the same sacrilege and sacrifice of living with a man you know is being unfaithful,” she told USA Today in an interview conducted in Spanish in 2021. “I’ve suffered a lot. It’s difficult because the heart goes where it wants. Those feelings are what guide people to my music.”
Men, in her songs, became “two-legged rats” and wastes of time. But eventually, she noticed them at her concerts as well.
“They go with their girlfriend, their wife and they love it,” Paquita said in a 2016 interview with The Associated Press.
She gained her stage name, which translates to “Paquita from the neighborhood,” while performing in Mexico City venues with her sister, Viola Viveros. Her breakthrough came during a televised performance on Televisa, leading to a contract with CBS Records and propelling her onto the national stage.
Paquita released more than 30 albums and received three Grammy nominations. In 2021, she received a lifetime achievement award at the Billboard Latin Music Awards, presented to her onstage by Bad Bunny. The award cited her “enduring and exceptional career, encompassing artistic and personal contributions that have had a major impact on Latin music worldwide.”
In January, Paquita was scheduled to perform at a concert at Mexico City’s National Auditorium, but canceled because of unspecified health issues.
